TRAGEDY IN A LUNATIC ASYLUM

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1095, 5 October 1883, Page 3

TRAGEDY IN A LUNATIC ASYLUM

Murdered with a Broom. Full Particulars. (PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.) AUCKLAND, This day. G. Schnell, the lunatic at the asylum who killed J. J. Mills, another patient, tvns sent here from Taranaki, where ho bad killed a man in a sudden frenzy a a year ago. He is suffering from homicidal mania. The officials of the nsylnm are observing great reticence concerning the affair, The inquest takes place to-morrow. Mills was an o’d resident.

TO-DAY’S TELEGRAMThe following particulars regarding the lunatic asylum tragedy have transpired. The occurrence happened, not in a cell, but in the day room in the cast end ,of the building, which, although it contained is used ns a breakfast and diliing room for dangerous patients. ’ Forty-two men usually dine, in this room, who Cannot be trusted with knife, j fork or spoon. They are supplied with what is called spoon diet. It is said that their potatoes are mashed and their meat chopped up. Owing to special instructions regarding Gns Schnell he was the Inst admitted into the Breakfast room, when all others wore seated. There were four attendants present at breokfnst and Hardy, the head warder, made a personal inspection at eight o’clock, and found all fight. Gus Schnell was not even sitting at the same table with Mills. There was a table between them and so far ns could bo gathered no communication passed between them, and they sat 0n the extreme corners. The duty of the attendant, McArdey, who had charge of the ward was to see the ward cleared out, the patients sent into the airing court and the place locked np before he went to breakfast. He says lie cleared Mills and Gus Schnell out with the other patients and locked the place, but thedifficulty is to reconcile this with the facts which occurred and Me Ardey has been supended pending result ol inquest. The tragedy occurred in the day room which was supposed to he locked, and yet Mills and the Austrian must have been there. The assault was committed at the extreme end of the ward in a passage six feet wide, on one side of which were the attendants room, the outlet being to the airing room. Gus Schnell apparently picked up a heavy deck scrubber broom used for scrubbing the oilcloth in the passage, . and following up his victim struck him violently on the back of the head fracturing his skull and smashing the brush off the handle. He then proceeded to belabour his victim with the handle. A patient named Edwin Jolly avers that he saw the assault. He slates distinctly that he saw Gus Schnell break the scrubber over Mill’s head, and then belabour him with the handle. Gns Schnell when asked why he attacked Mills says it was to pievent him swearing. Ho is quite coherent except when conversation tarns on his homicidal tendencies. An inquest is now proceeding.